2005 National Rv Dolphin Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2005 National Rv Dolphin, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes360.0%
- Electrical120.0%
- Tires & wheels120.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
BRAKE FAILURE. BRAKES GOT HOT AND I HAD NO BRAKES. I HAVE A W 22 WORKHORSE CHASSIS ON MY RV . IT IS A 2004 CHASSIS ON A 2005 NATIONAL RV DOLPHIN .I WAS ABLE TO GET STOPPED WITH OUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. WORKHORSE HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES ON THERE 2000,2001,2003 W22 CHASSIS. *TR
2005 DOLPHIN ON A CHEVY W 22 WORKHORSE CHASSIS..FRONT BRAKES FAILED AFTER 7500 MILES..FRONT ROTORS WERE HEAT CRACKED I WAS TOLD FROM THE DEALER..CALLED WH AND TOLD ME IT WAS NOT COVERED...NEVER HEARD OF ROTORS GOING BAD AT 7500 MILES..HAVE HAD OTHER MOTOR HOMES, AND HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF MY BRAKES WITH GOING DOWN HILLS, ETC..FEEL THERE IS DEFINITELY A FLAW IN THE BREAKING SYSTEM ON THESE VEHICLES..VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING LIKE THE FRONT END WAS FALLING APART COMING BACK FROM A TRIP..LIMPED IT BACK TO SHOP FOR EVALUATION..OVER $1000.00 REPAIR BILL...VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE WITH THESE BRAKES !!!! *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WERE NO WARNING SOUNDS WHILE OPERATING THE POWER GEAR LIFT ALARM. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE THE WIRING TO THE CHIMES WAS NOTICED CUT. THE DEALER WAS CONSULTED AND DETERMINED THE CHIMES WARNING DEVICE WAS NOT NECESSARY. ALSO, THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE IS A 2005 NATIONAL RV DOLPHIN LX. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
2005 RV WITH LESS THAN 10K MILES. WHILE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY UNDER NO STRESS, THE OUTSIDE PASSENGER REAR TIRE BEGAN BALLOONING ON THE SIDEWAY FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THEN BLEW OUT A HOLE APPROXIMATELY 1.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER. THE FAILURE APPEARS TO BE IN THE SEAM OF THE SIDEWALL. THE LAST TIME THE RV WAS DRIVEN WAS ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2006 (5 DAYS PREVIOUS). THIS INCIDENT WAS WITNESSED BY TIM ANDERSON WHO HAD BEEN WORKING IN THE DRIVEWAY AT THE TIME AND HEARD THE HISSING SOUND PRIOR TO THE BLOWOUT. HE WAS ALMOST INJURED IN THE INCIDENT AND HAD THANKFULLY MOVED AWAY SECONDS BEFORE THE BLOWOUT OCCURRED. I HAD BEEN DRIVING THE RV ON SUNDAY THE 15TH. HAD THIS OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGH TRAFFIC, RAIN-SLICKED HIGHWAY RETURNING FROM BATON ROUGE TO FRIENDSWOOD ON THE 20TH, POSSIBLY 4 PEOPLE (IN OUR RV) PLUS OTHERS MAY HAVE BEEN KILLED OR INJURED (GOODYEAR TIRE). *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .